Symposia & Conferences

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Intralingual Errors in the English Writing Produced by Sinhala Speaking Undergraduates: An Error Analysis.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Shashikala, H. P. L. W.
Learner errors are an inseparable part of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) since they serve as the best tool for interpreting the sources of learner errors and the strategies employed by the second language (L2) learner in the learning process. Numerous studies have established the role of first language (L1) interference in the acquisition of an L2 as a major factor for learner errors. Nevertheless, research has forwarded that learner errors do not result only from already acquired L1 knowledge and this category of errors is generally known as „intralingual‟ errors: the confusions caused by the complexities of the target language itself. This study identifies the possible sources of intralingual errors in the English writing produced by Sinhala speaking undergraduates in order to identify the nature of such influence in their L2 learning process. The sample comprises of fifty second second year undergraduates studying English as a compulsory subject in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. The data gathered from the three instruments: students‟ writing, questionnaire and interviews were analyzed using descriptive and contextual methods. Error Analysis Approach (EAA) was used in this research to find learner errors, identify them, and explain their sources. The findings report that a group of errors can be identified as developmental errors and errors due to systematic variation following Larsen-Freeman‟s classification (1991) of learner errors. Precisely, these errors have been caused by these learners‟ efforts to build up hypothesis about the target language from their limited classroom experience. The kind of complexities of the language to be acquired seems to cause the L2 learner a considerable difficulty in learning English. This study recommends that it is the responsibility of the language teacher to realize that if such errors are thoroughly analyzed, the learner‟s language acquisition process can be clearly understood. Further, this will enable students to develop strategies to overcome such errors eventually. This analysis concludes that intralingual errors require much emphasis due to their frequent occurrence in students‟ writing.
Oral Learning Strategies of Elementary Chinese Learners: Study Based on Learning Chinese as Foreign Language in Sri Lanka.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Yu Bo
Learning strategies are one of the most important individual differences in learners. It also provides a better understanding of metacognition, cognition, social and emotional processes in second language acquisition, which helps to reveal the learner's internal cognitive mechanism and external influencing factors. This study takes elementary-level Chinese learners of Sri Lanka as the research object, and explores the use of Chinese language learning strategies, influencing factors and their effectiveness in combination with the theory of second language acquisition learning strategies. Two research contents are conducted: the first is the difference of learning strategies between low score learners and high score learners, and the second is the relationship between the use of learning strategies and the effectiveness of Chinese oral acquisition. The study will use the language learning strategy scale proposed by Oxford (1990) to design the questionnaire of Chinese oral learning strategies. Through this study, the specific situation of learning strategies used in Chinese spoken language are studied by means of interview method and observation method. Research shows that the learning strategies used by high score learners which are not used by low score learners are effective learning strategies; and the learning strategies that positively correlated with the Chinese oral test scores are effective learning strategies. Teachers can use the research results to improve teaching skills and find the best teaching mode, adopt different teaching sills according to the factors of individual differences of students. On the other hand, it can help students to adjust their learning methods and improve their learning.
Attitudes of University Students towards Second Language Learning.
(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Anupama, D.S.; Premaratne, C. D. H. M.
Second Language Acquisition occurs in both informal and formal linguistic contexts and both these contexts are essential in enhancing the language skills of the learners. This study is aimed at investigating the attitudes of the students towards second language learning „inside the classroom‟ and „outside the classroom‟. A random sample of 54 second year students of the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the Wayamba University was selected for the study. The data was gathered by employing a questionnaire, which carried questions that dealt with the attitudes of the students on this matter. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics with the help of the SPSS statistical software. It was found that the majority of the students in the sample agreed to the fact that out-of-classroom language learning (OCLL) improved their speaking skills (37%) and vocabulary (41%) but when it comes to writing, majority i.e. 44% neither agreed nor disagreed to the fact that OCLL improved their writing. In addition, majority of the students (46%) believed that they learnt English in formal contexts than in informal contexts. Furthermore, majority of the students (46%) strongly agreed to the notion that learning English through OCLL is more enjoyable than learning English inside a classroom and 43% strongly agreed to the idea that OCLL motivates them to learn English. Accordingly, it can be concluded that the students acknowledge the importance of OCLL. However, they believe that both in-class learning and out-of-class learning should go hand in hand to further enhance the language knowledge. When it comes to „enjoyableness‟, students place their interest upon out-of-classroom language learning than in-class language learning. Hence, the language teachers should get the maximum use of OCLL, by integrating what is done inside the classroom with activities that can be done outside the classroom, to give the students the opportunity to use the language in an authentic linguistic environment.

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